A Vancouver Island rescue centre is dealing with an influx of fawns delivered by well-meaning people who think they’re in trouble.
The Mountainaire Avian Rescue Centre (MARS) in the Comox Valley says it is caring for ten fawns, many of which shouldn’t be there.
“We do see a lot of kidnappings and it’s very unfortunate when the animals are taken away from their family or the area that they’re raised in,” said Reg Westcott of MARS.
The kidnappings are done by people who mistakenly assume the fawns are in trouble because their mothers are nowhere to be seen, and they don’t know what to look for, Westcott said.
MARS recommends the following tips to try to determine if the fawn actually needs help, or if you could be endangering it by intervening:
- Don’t touch fawns curled up into a ball, like a cat. “That’s perfectly normal,” says Westcott.
- If a fawn is lying on its side with its legs sticking out, it would indicate its belly is likely bloated.
- If its hind end is covered in feces, that could indicate its mother isn’t around to clean it
- Always call a wildlife rescue centre like MARS (250-337-2021) before taking any action
Fawning season occurs mainly between May and September, according to the rescue centre.
Mothers will often leave their babies alone for hours while foraging for food, and the fawns know to stay still and quiet.
Westcott says the hope is all kidnapped fawns will be reunited with their mothers.
“We’re lucky enough, if we have the exact location where the animal comes from, we go back, we observe from a distance and quite often we’re treated with the site of the mom reintroduced with the baby,” said Westcott.
To learn more about MARS and tips for dealing with wildlife, visit its website.
With a report from CTV Vancouver Island's Gord Kurbis
